Hobgoblin Captain
Medium Fey · · CR 3
- Fey
- Medium
- Tier 1
Hobgoblin Captain, CR 3, fills the medium fey role with lawful evil disposition. Encounter regions: desert, forest, grassland, hill, mountain, planar, and underground. Sourced from Monster Manual (5.5e 2024) and Monster Manual (5e 2014).
Stat Block
- Challenge Rating
- 3
- Type
- Fey
- Size
- Medium
- Alignment
- —
- Speed
- —
- Habitats
- Desert, Forest, Grassland, Hill, Mountain, Planar, Underground
- Sources
- Monster Manual (5.5e 2024), Monster Manual (5e 2014)
Ecology
Hobgoblin captains lead military units within hobgoblin society, organized in legions, regiments, and squads with rigid discipline. They inhabit fortified outposts, captured ruins, and mountain holdfasts, expanding via conquest. They feed on rationed food and captured livestock, with no taste for raw flesh. They reproduce within barracks, with offspring trained from infancy in martial arts. They share territory with goblins and bugbears, organizing them as auxiliaries. They despise disorder, viewing chaos as weakness.
Behaviour
Hobgoblin captains are disciplined, ambitious, and cruel-but-honorable. They enforce strict military codes, punishing infractions harshly. They take pride in tactics and formation, viewing battles as professional work. They communicate via crisp commands in Goblin tongue and hand signals. They respect strength but despise mercy as weakness. They form alliances with other lawful evil entities, including devils and dragons, when mutually beneficial. They keep diaries of victories and study fallen enemies' tactics for future use.
Origin
Hobgoblins are fey-touched goblinoids descended from the same ancient race as goblins and bugbears. Captains rise through merit, distinguishing themselves in battle and earning command. They serve under hobgoblin warlords, who in turn serve goblin-kings and sometimes infernal patrons. Some sages claim hobgoblins were created by Maglubiyet from the bones of fallen elves, explaining their height and martial discipline. Others argue they are descendants of legion-spirits from the Lower Planes.
Related Monsters
Frequently Asked Questions about Hobgoblin Captain
- What is the challenge rating of Hobgoblin Captain?
- Hobgoblin Captain is rated CR 3. The rating works against tier-1 parties.
- What type of creature is Hobgoblin Captain?
- The bestiary type for Hobgoblin Captain is fey, medium size.
- Where does Hobgoblin Captain live?
- The bestiary places Hobgoblin Captain in Desert, Forest, Grassland, Hill, Mountain, Planar, Underground.